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Cupressus Forbesii

The Cupressus Forbesii is commonly known as Forbes Cypress, as well as Tecate Cypress

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Growing Regions

Tecate cypress is the most widespread of the rare southern California cypress species [37]. There are about 15 known populations [6,7]. Tecate cypress occurs in four groves in southern California. Three of the groves are in San Diego County on Guatay Mountain, Otay Mountain, and Tecate Peak. The fourth is on Sierra Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains of Orange County [2,12,40]. Isolated groves of Tecate cypress extend about 150 miles (240 km) south into peninsular Baja California [2]. Tecate cypress is cultivated in Hawaii [46].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name of Tecate cypress is Cupressus forbesii Jeps. (Cupressaceae) [10,24,40]. There are no recognized infrataxa.

Tecate cypress is a component of the southern interior cypress forest.
This community is a dense, fire-maintained, low forest that forms
even-aged stands surrounded by a matrix of chaparral [11,15].  In San
Vicente, Mexico, Tecate cypress grows with bishop pine (Pinus muricata)
[22].  Tecate cypress is also associated with closed-cone coniferous
woodlands [30,34].

Publications naming Tecate cypress as a community dominant are listed
below.  

Preliminary descriptions of the terrestrial natural communities of
   California [11]
The closed-cone pines and cypress [39]
Vegetation change in chaparral and desert communities in San Diego
   County, California [42]

Woody species not previously mentioned but commonly associated with
Tecate cypress include California scrub oak (Quercus dumosa), shrub live
oak (Q. turbinella), Eastwood manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa),
bigberry manzanita (A. glauca), Otay manzanita (A. otayensis), mission
manzanita (Xylococcus bicolor), hoaryleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus
crassifolius), wedgeleaf ceanothus (C. cuneatus), cupleaf ceanothus (C.
greggi var. perplexans), woolyleaf ceanothus (C. tomentosus var.
olivaceus), chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), lemonade sumac (Rhus
integrifolia), sugar sumac (R. ovata), laurel sumac (Malosma laurina),
toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), curlleaf mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus
betuloides), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), rushrose
(Helianthemum scoparium), redberry (Rhamnus crocea), southern bush
monkeyflower (Mimulus longiflorus), Parry nolina (Nolina parryi),
whiteflower currant (Ribes indecorum), San Diego mountain misery
(Chamaebatia australis), hollyleaf cherry (Prunus ilicifolia), wooly
bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum), bushrue (Cneoridium dumosum), black
sage (Salvia mellifera), white sage (S. apiana), fragrant sage (S.
clevelandii), Munz's sage (S. munzii), heart-leaved pitcher sage
(Lepechinia cardiophylla), fragrant pitcher sage (L. fragrans),
chaparral pea (Pickeringia montana ssp. tomentosa), hairy yerba santa
(Eriodictyon trichocalyx), yerba santa (E. crassifolium), tree poppy
(Dendromecon rigida), chaparral yucca (Yucca whipplei), saw-toothed
goldenbush (Hazardia squarrosa), and Mexican flannelbush
(Fremontodendron mexicanum) [1,7,31,39].

Herbaceous species not previously mentioned but commonly associated with
Tecate cypress include eucrypta (Eucrypta micrantha), bluedick (Brodiaea
pulchella), fire poppy (Papaver californicum), Catalina Mariposa lily
(Calochortus catalinae), Dunn's Mariposa lily (C. dunii), scarlet
delphinium (Delphinium cardinale), star flower (Enastrum sapphirinum),
prickly-phlox (Leptodactylon californicum), California buckwheat
(Eriogonum fasciculatum), golden-yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum),
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), intermediate cryptantha
(Cryptantha intermedia), and Fremont deathcamas (Zigadenus fremontii)
[1,7,31,39].

Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
Esser, Lora L. 1994. Cupressus forbesii. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.

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